The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-10
FACTS ABOUT THE CZAR.
INCIDENTS IN HIS STORMY LIFE NOT
GENERALLY KNOWN.


Home--A Devoted Husband.
(From the New York Mail and Express)
While the private and public life of
every other European monarch has fre-
quently given the journalists pen occa-
sion to cover Il roam of paper, more or
less, Alexander Alexandrowitch of Rus
sia, has kept the modern hicrophants, to
whom every secret is known and who
are initiated into the mystery Of life,
pretty woll at bay. What has crept into
print about him, off and on, has
uniformly been marred by inaccuracies.
This is easily explained. The present
Czar is not readily approached, and since
his advent to the throne especially has
he hedged about SO thoroughly that
even the intrepid gathoror of ncws has
often lost scent before reaching him.
| Alexander III. saw the frosty sun of
the Nova first March 10 (Fcbruary 26 by
the Russian calendar), 1916, as tho sec
ond son of Alexander H., and was cdu.
Gated with his elder brother, tho heir
presumptive Nicolas, by two years his
senior. The education of these two
princes was put into the hands of Count
S. Strogonow, but their real "gouvor-
ncur" was Privy-C Councillor Titow, re-
called for the purpose from his post as
| Russian ambassador ut the court of
Stuttgart. In Ttow's place State
Councillor Won Grimm was appointed in
1858, when Alexander was Il years of
age. From that time on the boy drank
daily deep from the fount of German
learning, as nearly all his tutors were
professors of that nationality. Grimm,
however, in spite of his German name,
was an arch-Russian by heart, and the
carly influence of Iitow, MuScovitc Of
the old school to the finger tips, had
sunk into the youthful princes soul.
Grimm, twenty years before, had guided
the education of the Prince Constantine
Nicolaiewitch. The military training
was intrusted to an adjutant general re-
instruction to II learned old pope, and
State Secretary Baron Modest Korir,
author of several books on Russian his
tory, taught the high born twain all Of
Russian statccraft, history and law they
were dcsirous to learn.
April q, 1865, the death Of the
czarowitz interviewed ut Nice and Alex
ander, then just attaining his majority,
was solemnly declared the heir TO the
throne. In the following year, NovCm-
Der Q, 1866, he welded with much pomp
the Danish lady who had been his late
brothers tihncce, Princess Dagmar,
King Christian IX. S daughter Baptized
in the Greek orthodox faith, she received
the names Marie Fcodorownn in eX
change for her former ones-NIari,
Sophie Frcdcrika Dagmar. This prin
cess, rs amiablc and accomplished as she
is beautiful, was born November Goth,
1917, and was consequently her spouse s
junior by two years and eight months.
The young consort of the Russian heir
came from II court where the loss of two
beautiful provinces, just swallowed ND
by Prussia, was mourncd with tears of
impotont wrath, and where pious Will
liam by the Spree had been daily
mathematical. What wonder, then,
that tho beautiful bride made her young
husband, then in the flush Of enthusiasm
SO common to heir prcsumptivcs, Il
sharer in her mortal antipnthy to the
Hohenzollern dynasty?
The palpablc effect of these uXorious
lessons was not long in coming. The
prince within II few months was the nc
knowlcdged head Of the anti German
party at the court, at that time and up to
the hour of Alexander H. $ death divided
into the old Russian and he new Rus
sian or German parties. IN Berlin they
were well informed about this, and Bis
marck, together with his master, in
dulged IN dire fOrebodings as to what
would happen when Alexander !. should
close his eyes. The wnr Of 1901 came
and the flames burst out afrcsh with re-
ncwed WgOr. The CZar and his immcdi-
Loft n1lffN Al
Germany at that time, and especial pains
were taken to emphasize this state of
feeling. The younger Alexander, on the
other hand, had a well-organizcd follow
ing of his own, whose SympathicS were
strongly in another groove. The in
oVitablC result was that these Sympathics
and antipathics frequently clashcd and
that snubs and the "cut direct" were
dealt ont very literally and evenly dis
tributed during the whole duration of
the Franco-Gcrman conflict and for some
time after to the representatives of Ger
many as well as France. Personal en-
counters even and ducls cnsued and
Alexander Ii. had rather busy time of
it trying to allay the outraged feelings
Of this ambassador and Of the attacho or
secretary.
| ONSt'"iCii"iiJj hOMCFClJ NC lOO3 IClJ
provoked, and on one notable occasion
the Emperor was put into perfect rage
by his sons Prussophobous pranks 1t
was on the occasion of court ball. This
happened to be given the night when
the telcgraphic nows Of another disaster
to French arms had just reached ST.
Petersburg. The Emperor chad been
speaking Of this to several Of his init
mates early in the evening and in terms
of admiration at the wonderful achieve
ments of German Yalor. Soon after he
had entered the grand ballroom in the
winter palace, Prince Alexander came in
likewise, almost Immediately followed
by his circle of friends. The prince, as
well as those behind him, had pinned
small favors to the lapcls Of their 8wal-
low-tails, these being dimimutivo repre-
scntations Of the French tri-color. The
whole set of ladies belonging to them
carried simultaneously bouquets to their
lovely little noses, which exhibited even
more glaringly the three coIors making
up tho Gallo emblem. The demon8tra-
ton was 50 patent that it could not es-